Love and Coffee
by brokenflower
Summary: When Lorelei couldn't accept Max's proposal she wanted to know what was stopping her from saying yes and ends up finding out what her heart has known all along. First in the "Love and Coffee" trilogy.


It had only been a few months since Lorelei Gilmore had broken the news to Max Medina the English teacher whose heart she stol

Author's Note and Disclaimer: Okay I'm new at Gilmore Girls fan fiction so I hope you like this. Please review but don't be too harsh. I don't own anything in the story so don't sue me.

Love and Coffee

It had only been a few months since Lorelei Gilmore had broken the news to Max Medina the English teacher whose heart she stole. She declined his proposal, though she loved him and part of her was screaming "Yes!" there was something that told her to say no. Lorelei had been since trying to convince herself that she had made the right choice. 

"You did the right thing Lorelei." she told herself as she stood in front of the mirror downstairs waiting for Rory to come running down the stairs worrying about being late for her first day of school. "It was rushing things, it was insane. Plus there wasn't a horse." she muttered. "Max wasn't right for you, he was a Chilton teacher and that could have gotten you in trouble with other parents. You need to find someone that Rory is completely comfortable with. Maybe I should reconsider Christopher? No!" she said quickly shaking away the thought. "That's the lack of coffee talking. At least you didn't need to wallow after this break-up."

"Come on, mom! You were the one who insisted on driving me on the first day of the school year, we can't be late!" Rory complained grabbing her backpack and snatching a pop tart out of her mother's hand before running out to the car. 

"Coming, coming." the elder Gilmore grumbled. "How can you be so peppy without your morning dose of caffeine?" she asked in disbelief as she followed her, got into the car, and started to drive out of their neighborhood. 

"Easy, I spent the last few weeks wallowing on the couch eating nothing but Starbucks ice cream. I'm still riding the caffeine wave." Rory commented referring to the aftermath of her second and final break-up with Dean. 

For the first two months of the summer the two had been inseparable but Rory soon found out that even after her declaration of love for Dean there was something missing from the relationship. Unfortunately Dean realized this first and broke Rory's heart. 

"Yeah, well you ate all that ice cream without me so I do not share your enthusiasm. Hun, next time we're running low on coffee say something. This is the first time in like never that we have ever been out of coffee." 

"It's not my fault, you make the coffee in the morning," Rory pointed out, "so you should have seen the oncoming coffee crisis." 

It was true, Lorelei had been so distracted by the Max break-up that she hadn't even noticed the diminishing supply of coffee grounds. Which is saying something about how much she had on her mind. 

"Grr…wait until tonight at Luke's after I've had some coffee for my comeback on that. The lack of caffeine is affecting the part of my brain that controls all my witty sayings." 

For the rest of the ride the two skirted around different topics trying to stay away from talking about coffee (talking about it would only make Lorelei even worse). One such topic was about the anticipated hell Tristan DuGrey would put her through this year and found themselves once again in front of the ever-daunting Chilton. 

"It looks…scary…again." Rory commented.

"That it does. Oh well, have a good day sweetie. Remember, call me if you need anything."

"Got it. Bye, mom." 

No sooner had Rory stepped out of the car Tristan walked bye careful to brush her arm as he passed. 

"Welcome back, Mary." he said emphasizing the last part. In the three months since she had left him standing there, book in hand, to witness her confession of love to Dean he had reverted to his old name for her.

"Hey, DuGrey!" Lorelei called from the car as Rory quickly entered the building. He turned around at the sound of his name being called. "I wouldn't mess with her if I were you, I haven't had coffee and I'm cranky don't think that I won't get out and kick your butt!" he smirked and with a slight nod turned around and walked in. 

Lorelei smiled slightly and turned her attention back on what she needed to do. Go to work where there would hopefully be a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her. 

*********

"Morning Sookie. I am in desperate need for nice steaming mug of coffee." Lorelei said as she walked in the kitchen of the inn. 

"Well, unfortunately the coffee maker is broken and on top of that there isn't any coffee left." she said as she wiped her hand with a towel getting ready to cook up a storm for the breakfast crowd.

"What?!?!" screamed Lorelei in disbelief. "Jeez, this is either a really bad nightmare or some cruel joke that everybody is in on. Nobody has any coffee." 

"Did you try Luke's?" Sookie asked while cutting up some fruit.

"No, didn't have time this morning. I had to drive Rory to school."

"Oooh, first day of the school year. Was she excited?"

"Somewhat, she still had caffeine in her system."

"Lorelei, telephone!" Michel called.

"Tell whoever it is I'm busy." 

"Yes, Lorelei is right here." he said into the phone and then handed it to her. (it was a cordless) 

"Evil." she grumbled. _'This is gonna be a long day' _she thought to herself as she took the call.

It wasn't all that long of a day because Lorelei decided to leave at lunch, it had been a long morning of stressful situations. So she went to the first place that came to mind, Luke's. 

"You're here early. Why?" Luke asked from behind the counter as she walked in and sat down.

"Not answering till I get a large cup of that coffee that I smell." she replied putting her head down on the counter.

"You look like hell, for once I'm just gonna get you the coffee no arguments."

In a few seconds Lorelei was handed the coffee but to her it was like ambrosia. 

"Uh, you're a saint. We were out at home and at the inn."

"Wanna talk about it?" Luke said stopping what he was doing and leaning down on the counter in front of her.

"What do you mean?" 

"Lorelei, I know you. You would never let yourself run out of coffee unless something else was on your mind. So, spill." 

"It's long story."

"Look around, no customers. I got time." 

"Okay, but I can't start story time without another cup." she said grinning like a child as she handed him her empty mug. He smirked and filled up the cup.

"So what's bothering you?"

"Max."

"The guy who proposed to you." 

"Yeah, I feel so terrible about turning him down. It's not really that I lost a love because I didn't feel the need to wallow after."

"Wallow?"

"Too complicated, you don't wanna know. It's just I know I did the right thing, or at least I think I did. Christopher, Rory's dad, proposed to me a while back. I've been thinking about maybe…taking back Christopher, although I think that's maybe just the lack of caffeine talking."

At this Luke sprang into action.

"Here, let me fill that cup back up!" he said hurriedly pouring more coffee into the cup. Lorelei just laughed. 

_'He's so sweet, so protective, so handsome…whoa Lorelei did you just think that about Luke?'_ she quickly shook the thought out of her head.

"Well, seems like you're questioning the choice you made so why don't you focus on the reasons that made you decide to turn Max and Christopher down." 

"Well, Chris is easy. He's too immature, you know, no matter what he's not husband material. He won't be able to protect us the way we need to be protected." 

_'But you can…stop it Lorelei this is Luke we are talking about.'_

"And what about Max?" Luke pressed.

"Well, there's a toughie. I know that it would cause a problem at Chilton, he was Rory's teacher and the other parents could come to wrong conclusions about that. It could explode into a big mess. And the thing is, to Rory he will always be a teacher."

"What's wrong with that." 

"She needs someone who she can be comfortable with. I think that it's already imprinted in her mind that Max is a teacher, her teacher, a Chilton teacher, someone to be feared and respected. She needs someone who she can be comfortable with, who she can see as a father."

'Like you, she's comfortable with you. I'm comfortable with you. Stop it Lorelei! Oh what the hell, I'm not gonna be able to stop, just keep thinking it, I'm in enough conflict with everything else I don't need to be in conflict with myself.'

"Anything else?" Luke said once again filling her empty cup.

"Yeah, you know he proposed as a solution to the problem in our relationship. But that wasn't right, I mean marriage shouldn't be seen as a solution to something. It's about love, a commitment to someone that you want to be with, you shouldn't have any alternative reasons. That's why I couldn't marry Christopher when I was pregnant with Rory, I didn't love him like that and they wanted us to be married because of her, not because of love." she said looking down at her cup as she said it.

"Then you made the right choice. You should be with someone who loves you so much that they can respect you. If you really loved this guy and he really loved you then you would have thought of another way around the problem instead of marriage. That's what love is, doing whatever it takes to be with someone you feel, know, you can't live without." he said lifting her chin up and looking straight into her eyes, the sincerity clearly visible. 

"That was sweet Luke."

"Yeah, well…you know." he said looking away nervously suddenly preoccupied in rubbing a stain on the counter away. 

Lorelei looked down and smiled.

"I've got to go home. You know, change out of these work clothes, think about some things, and you know other stuff. I'll be back later." she said getting up and heading for the door.

"Yeah, okay. Later then." Luke said waving as she walked out. Luke looked around the now empty diner and at her car as she drove by. 

"I love you Lorelei." he whispered to himself. 

***********

"Come on Lorelei! You can't think of Luke like that!" she yelled at herself. It had been three hours since she had gotten home and the entire time she was debating with herself over Luke. "But he's such a sweetie, and the man does make a good cup of coffee. Uh…coffee. Ooh, focus Lorelei, focus. Let's see it's 4:00 now, Rory should be getting home." 

As if on cue, the phone began to ring.

"Hmm…what a co-inky-dink! Bet it's Rory, now I need to find the phone." Lorelei began her search for the phone. "Hold on, I'm coming." she called out to the object. "Ah-ha!" she exclaimed finding the phone underneath a pile of clothes and pillows. 

"Hello." she said.

"Hi mom!" Rory said on the other line.

"Hey, sorry it took me so long to answer the phone."

"It's okay I figured you were trying to find it."

"That I was. So what's up hun?"

"I'm not going to be able to meet you at Luke's tonight at 5."

"What? Why not?"

"I have to work on an assignment with my partner, it's homework and it's due tomorrow."

"Ouch, giving out homework on the first day. Who's you're partner?"

"I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count."

"Ooh, okay well my third guess is…Tristan?"

"Ding, ding, ding!"

"Rough, sorry bout that."

"It's okay, anyways, we're going to work on the project tonight at his house and he'll give me a ride back home so I'll be home around 9."

"Okay, if anything goes wrong just call me."

"Bye mom."

"Bye baby."

With that she hung up the phone and sank back onto the couch and closed her eyes. An hour later she was still in conflict with herself. 

"Luke's like a father to Rory. No question he loves her. He'd do anything for that kid, even pound the snot out of anyone who crossed her. We're comfortable around each other, there's that friendly banter that keeps things interesting, and he is easy on the eyes. We click together, all of us even Rory. I wonder if she does? How would she react? This is crazy I shouldn't be thinking this. But do I love him. No! I mean I have loving feelings for him he's my friend. I call him when I need help or sometimes when I need someone to talk to but that's it. Isn't it? I have loving feelings for him, that doesn't mean I love Luke! I love Luke…my God! I love Luke!" Lorelei sat straight up at the sudden discovery she loved Luke! 

"Oh my God! I've got to talk to Rory!" 

She picked up the phone and not knowing what to do she picked up the phone and hit the keys for the dial back function. 

"DuGrey residence." the stiff housekeeper answered.

"Hello? Hi, is Rory there?" Lorelei stammered.

"Rory?"

"Yes, my daughter, she's working on a project with Tristan. I need to talk to her."

"Oh yes, Miss Gilmore. I'll get her now."

"Miss Gilmore?" Lorelei muttered to herself as the housekeeper set down the phone to get Rory. "How proper. Yuck!"

"Mom? What's wrong?" Rory said picking up the phone.

"I'm in love with Luke!" Lorelei blurted out.

"What?!?!?!?"

"I don't know! I just, I think I'm in love with Luke! What do you think?" 

"I'm shocked, Imean you suddenly call and say you're in love with Luke, you can't put me on the spot like this by asking me what to think. I mean my mind is still trying to process this information! How?"

"I don't know, I guess I've been thinking about him lately."

"Are you sure you love him? It's not just because he has the best coffee in town?"

"Well, the coffee thing is a plus but no. I've been thinking about how happy he makes me feel, how willing he is to take care of us and what a good job he does when he does look out for us. I'm starting to think it may be reason why I couldn't marry Max, because somewhere in my heart I loved Luke, I just never knew it. But if you think this is weird then I'll go to the hospital right now and make them cut out that part of my heart that harbors feelings for him…and his coffee." 

"No, mom. It is kind of weird, but not like in a bad way. He has been like a father figure in my life and we are comfortable with him, kind of click like a puzzle or something."

"Exactly my thoughts." Lorelei agreed. She was so relieved Rory was taking the news well.

"Then go for it!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Mom, yes!" Rory laughed. "I would love it if you went out with Luke and if it did turn into something more!" 

"Great! So what do I do now?"

Rory laughed again at her mother's naiveté. "Go tell him!" 

"Oh, yeah that would be a good idea. Thanks babe!" 

"Welcome! Now go!"

"Okay bye!" Lorelei hung up the phone and sprang into action. In seconds she was out of the house and sprinting to the diner.

"Taylor? What are you doing here? Where's Luke?" Lorelei asked near panic. She ran into the diner to find Taylor in Luke's place behind the counter.

"I was sitting here getting a burger and Luke seemed distracted so I offered to look after things for a little bit while he thought out a few of his worries. Surprised he agreed, he must have a lot to think about."

"Um…okay well do you near where he is?" Lorelei said in a rush. 

She had to find Luke, she had to tell him she loved him.

"I think he headed in the direction of the gazebo…" 

Lorelei was out the door before Taylor could finish the sentence. She ran across the street and saw the gazebo, sitting in plain view. _'Why didn't I notice him there earlier? Duh, Lorelei you were oblivious to everything except the diner.'_

"This is it." she muttered to herself and began to walk up to him from behind.

******

_'Why can't you love me Lorelei? I love you, everything about you, except maybe the coffee addiction but that makes you who you are. And Rory, gosh I love that kid. If you would let me be a father to her, I would be great. That's it, I almost lost you once and I'm not going to again. I'm going to tell you I love you!' _he thought. 

He stood up and came face to face with Lorelei startling both adults.

"Lorelei, I…uh…didn't see you there."

"Yeah, sorry. Can we talk?" Lorelei said nervously.

"Sure, have a seat." he said gesturing towards the bench he was sitting on.

They both sat down and for a moment they didn't say anything.

"Um…Luke something was stopping me from saying yes to Max, and I've been doing a lot of thinking to find out what that was. Well today after I got home I finally realized it wasn't a what it was a who, someone who I love, who I'd rather be with."

_'Oh God. I've lost her, she loves someone else.'_ Luke thought. 

"And I know that this guy, he's right for me, right for Rory, and I don't want to be with anyone else."

'I blew it.'

"Wait, who is this guy?" Luke asked trying to sound casual.

"Well, you know him. Really well actually." 

'Great just what I need, someone I'll see around often to remind me that Lorelei isn't with me.'

"Yeah, he's a really good friend of mine, which is good cuz if I'm dating someone I want them to be a friend too. And he's great for Rory, really protective. Kind of tough to everyone around, but on the inside he's a softy who goes to extremes to make me happy, like making me a Santa Burger…"

At this Luke looked up and met her gaze. She had the beginnings of tears in her eyes and the expression he saw in them made his eyes water. It was something he had wanted to see in a long time. Love. 

"…and driving me to the hospital when my dad was sick even though he really doesn't like them," she smiled at the reaction to the realization that she was talking about him, "and letting me paint his diner even though I was a real jerk and stood him up the night we were supposed to do it, and most importantly, he makes a mean cup of coffee."

"Lorelei, I…" he began but was cut off.

"Luke, I love you." she said quickly afraid that he was about to say that he didn't return the feelings. Luke stared at her as she sat tears now streaming down her face, in amazement at how beautiful she looked. 

_'Please say something Luke!'_ she silently pleaded to herself.

Cupping her cheek in his hand and wiping away a tear with his thumb he said, "Lorelei, you have no idea how long I have waited for you to say that. I love you too, I have for a long time now."

"Really?" she said crying even more but this time crying tears of joy.

"Yeah, really." 

With that they leaned in slowly, not caring about the eyes that were watching and gently pressed their lips together. As the kiss deepened they felt the electricity flow through them, the connection not breaking once. Finally they separated and looked into each other's eyes.

"Does this mean I get unlimited coffee?" Lorelei asked.

"Is that why you love me so much?" he said jokingly.

"Part of the reason." she replied.

"Love and Coffee…"

"It's a beautiful thing." Lorelei finished.

He just smiled and pulled her in for another kiss.

******

"Yes, do you see them? Lorelei and Luke are kissing in the gazebo! I have a perfect view. All right spread the news Taylor, I've got to go get my camera. All right, bye." Miss Patty said hanging up her phone and rushing to get her camera. 

In minutes, Stars Hollow was a buzz with the news of the newest couple.

AN: Remember please be kind and review. I might do a sequel with Tristan and Rory (I'm a major trory fan) but it depends on your reviews. If you want one just ask.


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